Vessel and apparatus for cutting channels in water-ways



(No Model.)

J. GATES. VESSEL AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CHANNELS IN WATER WAYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrrcn.

JOHN GATES, OFIORTLAND, OREGON.

VESSEL AND APPARATUSIOR CUTTING CHANNELS IN WATER-WAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,153, dated November18, 1884.

Application filed April 30, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GATES, of Portland, in the county of Multnomahand State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Vessel andApparatus for Cutting Channels in Water-Ways, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a vessel and apparatus for cutting channels inwater-ways in a simple, rapid, effective, and comparatively inexpensivemanner.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of avessel and apparatus arranged for operationin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thevessel in larger size, part being broken away to show the watercompartment; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation in still larger size of apart of the bows of the vessel.

The letter A indicates the vessel, which has suitable tanks orcompartments, A, to receive water-ballast for sinking the stern to anyde sired depth.

The vessel has apparatus, preferably steampower boilers and engines, bywhich to propel her by a screw, B, fitted at the stern in the usualmanner, in front of the rudder D, which latter may be shifted byconnections from the forward wheel-house, E, and also from the aftsteering-wheel, F.

At G is shown any approved hoisting apparatus, preferably asteam-Windlass, on which to wind the lines or cables H I, leading fromthe starboard and port sides, respectively, of the vessel, and a headline or cable, J. The outer ends of the cables H I J carry anchors K, orother devices, by which the vessel A may be anchored or held in positionagainst moving forward or backward, and so that the head-line J may bepaid out and the side lines, H I, hauled in when it is desired to backthe vessel as the cutting of the channel by the back-wash from the screwB proceeds, as hereinafter described.

- On a strong pin or shaft, L, held in eyes or straps M, firmly boltedto the bows of the vessel A, are journaled two sheaves, N 0. (Best shownin Fig. 3.) The starboard-1i ne H passes from its outboard-anchor K (notshown) over the sheave N, and thence through the ,hawser-hole P on theport side of the vessel to the Windlass G, and the port-line I passesfrom its outboard-anchor K over the sheave O, and thence to the WindlassG, through a hawserhole opposite the'one P, and on the starboard side ofthe vessel. The lines H I are of about equal lengthsay, two thousandfeet-and the head-line J may be of about the same length, and is alsoarranged to be hauled in by and paid out from the windlass G.. By thisarrangement of lines at and over the vessels bows the vessel may be heldfrom moving ahead and still be free to swing to either side at the sternon the sheaves N O or pin L as a center; or, in other words, the vesselhangs in the bights of the cables H I at the bows.

The operation is as follows: The vessel A, with the cables and attachedanchors aboard, is steamed to the bar or shoal to be channeled, or tothe channel to be deepened, and the line of the channel is first markedoff or indicated by a center range of buoys or beacons, and two sideranges, which indicate the width or proposed width of thechannel. Thevessel is headed upstream, or against the current, with the stern closeonto the bar or shoal, and the anchors K of the lines H I J are setforward and aft of the vessel, the anchors of lines H I being lowered tohold the lines sufficiently spread apart backward from the vessels bowsto permit the vessel s stern to swing to either side range for the fullwidth of the channel, and the head-line anchor set on the line of thecenter of the channel, as will be understood from Fig. 1, wherein thedotted lines indicate the side swing of the vessel. The vessel being nowcontrolled'by a helmsman at F and a lead'sman at R, will be backedcarefully as the side lines, H I, are hauled in by the Windlass G, andthe headline J paid out therefrom until the stern, now sunk bywater-ballast to a given depth, touches the bar. The lines will now bemade fast at the Windlass and the screw ,B turned ahead, and as thevessel does not move ahead, because it is held by the aft anchors, thewater will be IOO forced backward by the screw B against the shoal orbar with sufficient force (assisted or not by the natural currents ofthe waterway) to dislodge the bottom deposits and cut a channel, and asthe vessel steers quite the same as when running off free, the sternwill swing to either side and the keel will gage the clear depth of thechannel across its full width to both side ranges, as will readily beunderstood. hen the first clear cut is taken, the vessel will again bealigned with the center range and backed as before until she againtouches bottom, when the cables will be made fast and the screw againturned ahead full speed for a second cut by the forcible water-currentsfrom the screw to the full width of the channel, and like operations maybe re peated for cutting or sluioing a channel of any desired length.

The cables H I J being flexible, are well adapted for use with anchorsfor holding the vessel when sluieing' channels in water-ways havingconsiderable swell o-rrise and fall of the water, which carries thevessel up and down when at work. Any tendency of the vessels bows towork off of or away from the center range of the channel may becorrected by hauling in 011 either starboard or port cables H I, asrequired.

It will be understood that the use of the pivot and sheaves L N O is notabsolutely essential, as the vessel A may swing sidewise at the sternupon cables passing over fixed blocks at the bows, and the cables may beled to and worked by one or more windlas ses G, in a L manner other thanthat above described; but the use of the sheaves is preferred, as theyrelieve friction and wear of the vessel and cables, and greatlyfacilitate the handling of the vessel during the progress of the work;and the arrangement of the Windlass is simple, effective, andlabor-saving, and will ad-' L. M. Pixnnisrr, Gno. E. \VATKINS.

